Chapter 1

"Sarah Kerrigan." She knew her name, but it had been a long time since anyone other than Jim had called her 'Sarah'. Everyone else had just called her Kerrigan, even before Tarsonis. Still, she liked hearing 'Sarah' again. It reminded her of simpler days, when she had been a pawn. But how could a queen desire to be a pawn? The very notion was absurd. And wasn't she a queen? A queen with terrible power?

"Wake up Sarah." Suddenly memories flooded back to her. She remembered being captured by the Zerg, transported, finally being assimilated into the Zerg. When she had been reborn into the Swarm, the Overmind had declared, "Arise my daughter. Arise….Kerrigan." With that awakening she had received a new purpose. The collective mission of the Zerg, to kill or assimilate all life, had become her own. The Overmind's voice had projected power, a masterful but benevolent paternal voice. But this voice calling her now projected something else which she could not quite place. The voice almost seemed to project…compassion? Love? Not the love of a lover or even lust (and she had read plenty of THOSE thoughts as a telepath!), but a concerned love, like that of a caring parent or close friend.

Sarah opened her eyes. Before her was a man of middling height. The first thing that struck her was that he was entirely dressed in black save a small patch of white at the collar. To compliment his black clothes was the oddest black hat with a pom-pom ball on top. He presented quiet the spectacle before her, dressed in such a manner.

"Hello Sarah," the man spoke. "I am Father Sander."

"Where am I?" Sarah asked. "Where is everyone else? Where's Jim?"

"You are dreaming Sarah. You've been dreaming since you liberation on Char."

"If I'm dreaming, why are you here? Did I just dream you up?"

"Let's just say you're not the only one with 'gifts'. I entered you dream. Sorry for the intrusion, but it was urgent we talk."

"Suppose I don't want to talk?" Sarah glared at the man. She didn't like reading other people's thoughts and she certainly didn't want someone else in HER head!

"I only wanted to say my part and then I will leave." Father Sander still projected meekness but she could tell he was also driven. Driven by what, though?

"Nice outfit," she sneered, still insulted at this invasion of her dream.

"The dress of my profession," Father Sander replied humbly.

"So what are you?" Sarah questioned. "A religious nut bag?"

Father Sander chuckled. "Something like that. I'm a priest of one of Old Earth's religions." He paused. "Like others, my 'gifts' began to manifest themselves. Unlike most with gifts, though, who were found by the Dominion or the Confederacy before them, my abilities were discovered by the Church. After I could no long hide my abilities, the Church took me in. Eventually, I became a priest."

"Didn't you trade one master for another?" Sarah countered.

"While others are forced to serve masters they neither choose nor want, I serve a master of my own choosing. I was called, and I answered. It is in the service of my master that I am here. I can tell that service to your masters has brought you much pain. As a ghost you served because the choice was denied you. Later, you served a new master because you believed you owed him a debt of gratitude. As part of the Zerg, you came to know yet another master, the collective will of the Swarm."

"I am a Queen! I have no master!"

"If that is true, it makes the things you've done all the more terrible, oh Queen of the Zerg. As scripture says, 'We had gone astray like sheep, each following his own way'."

Sarah was puzzled, unsure what to say to all that. It was true she had served masters, both unwillingly and grudgingly. Even her service to the Overmind had seemed arbitrary, not really a decision so much as an expectation – it was expected of every Zerg to serve the leader of their brood, and ultimately the Overmind itself. Still, had not the Queen of Blades answered to no one after the Overmind had perished?

"So what IS your purpose here?" Sarah demanded.

"God's plan for the salvation of souls. More specifically, your soul."

"I don't need saving!" she retorted.

"So you say," Father Sander replied. "As scripture says, 'I reap where another sowed.' Jim Raynor liberated you from your darker nature. The question is, with the Queen of Blades vanquished, what's left behind? Is what's left behind worth redeeming? Some think so. As scripture says, 'I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.' Salvation comes to all through faith!"

"Nobody can save me, not from the things I've done."

"Jim Raynor thought differently," Father Sander countered. "He was willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING to bring his 'Sarah' back. His love, his faith, led him to Char to confront the Queen of Blades. If he, who was grieved so much by Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, can find forgiveness, how much more can he, who was immeasurably 'wounded for our transgressions' find mercy, love, compassion, and forgiveness, even for the worst among us?"

"Regardless of what YOU believe, when I wake up I'm still the Queen of the Zerg."

"Maybe. The choice is indeed yours. I say this, arise Sarah Kerrigan. Arise reborn, made anew, all sins forgiven, for 'The Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all.' Go and from now on, sin no more." And with that, the dream world began to fade away.

"What is happening?" Sarah asked.

"Time to wake up Sarah," was the only thing Father Sander replied.

Sarah awoke onboard a ship, a massive ship (she could sense it). The Hyperion! She could remember waking up on this strange ship before, after being rescued by Mengsk from the Confederate test lab on Vyctor 5. That time she had awoke on an infirmary bed to a curious Mengsk and a captivated Somo. Once again she found herself on an infirmary bed under questioning gauzes. Sitting a few feet from her were two men she recognized at first glance. The one on the left was Jim Raynor, dressed in those same old buckskin pants and that faded denim shirt. The other was that priest, Father Sander.

"Good to have you back, darling," Jim Raynor spoke. He seemed genuinely happy to have her back.

Sarah smiled at Jim but turned to the look at the priest. She still had a lot to figure out; much about the Queen of Blades was not clear to her. She needed time to think things through. Where did Sarah Kerrigan end and the Queen of Blades begin? Did 'Sarah' still exist?

Sensing her thoughts, Father Sander spoke. "Commander Raynor," Father Sander began. "I wish to perform services for the dead and then to say a Mass for those among you who are of the Faith. Besides, I believe you two have a lot to discuss. Do I have your leave?" He stood to go.

"You're leaving me?" Sarah asked, almost pleading for him to stay.

"Just for a time. You're in good hands and these are things that need doing. Be not afraid, Sarah, we'll talk more later."

"I don't recall you talking to her at all," Jim replied, unsure when Father Sander had previously spoken to Sarah. Sarah had just now woken up, and the priest had not seen her before they'd returned from Char. "But if you say things need doing, they best be done and over with."

Father Sander nodded and walked over to Sarah, and extending his hand over her, he muttered some words that neither Sarah nor Jim made out while making a cross with his outstretched hand. Jim guessed it was some type of blessing or incantation. Afterwards, Father Sander stepped back and walked out of the room.